London Spy

There is indeed a spy in London Spy, but this British miniseries is not a traditional espionage drama. Danny (Ben Whishaw) is a club-culture young gay man with a dreary day job who meets closeted and emotionally suppressed Alex (Edward Holcroft), who is a genius with numbers but awkward with people. Alex is an investment banker who works in a building featuring security that goes beyond the usual banking standard. When Alex suddenly disappears, Danny discovers that he had a hidden life: Alex was a spy and Danny is convinced that his death (by the second episode) was staged as an accident involving extreme sexual misadventure in order to implicate him. Alex's ghost hangs over the rest of the series as Danny tries to make sense of it all. Danny's friend Scottie (Jim Broadbent), a former MI-6 agent drummed out of the agency when his homosexuality was discovered, vows to help Danny uncover the truth, while also trying to protect him with the help of a trustworthy old friend and colleague (Harriet Walter). The spycraft all takes place off-screen, seen only in its devastating effects on Danny's life in this drama about the destruction of innocent lives while protecting embarrassing truths from coming to light, as well as the sacrifices that individuals make for love. Charlotte Rampling delivers a searing performance as Alex's secretive mother, while Mark Gatiss, Clarke Peters, and James Fox also make brief but memorable appearances. Telling a powerful and compelling story that will appeal to fans of serious British TV drama, this five-part 2015 miniseries bows on DVD with extras including a behind-the-scenes featurette. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)